Rabbits are to be found almost everywhere. Originally from the Iberian peninsula and North-Western Africa, these small mammals with their soft, short tails, whiskers and long ears can currently be found all over the world. They can therefore survive in very diverse climates and their natural habitat can consist of meadows, farmland, scrubland and forests, as well as deserts and heaths.
Natural enemies
Wild rabbits dig tunnels in the ground that can also contain chambers to nest and sleep in. These rabbit burrows have multiple entrances to facilitate quick escape and can be located up to 3 meters underground. A rabbit’s nest is inhabited by a single family of approximately ten members at most. This underground habitat protects the rabbits from their natural enemies and against hot and cold temperatures.
After all, wild rabbits have many enemies. They are the ideal prey for wild birds such as owls, hawks, eagles and falcons, wild dogs, cats and even ground squirrels. This is why they mainly look for food in the evenings and at night. They can hide more easily from predators in the (twilight) dark. Although the pet rabbit does not have to worry too much about predators, they also like a lot of space and places where they can hide. At the rabbit’s cage, provide a large (outdoor) rabbit’s pen and fit it with many hiding spots and various levels.
Your pet rabbits probably do not have the option of cooling down in an underground dwelling. But they are also very sensitive to overheating. Rabbits cannot cool down by sweating, but only by dilating the blood vessels in their ears. You must therefore protect them against exhaustion or a stroke because of the heat. Do not expose you rabbits to too high temperatures, not even for a short period.
After all, wild rabbits have many enemies. They are the ideal prey for wild birds such as owls, hawks, eagles and falcons, wild dogs, cats and even ground squirrels.
Social animals
Rabbits are very social beings. Wild rabbits live in large groups that are referred to as colonies. A pet rabbit therefore also likes company. It is better not to keep them on their own. If you do not want to be confronted with a large brood, it is best to keep the buck and doe rabbits apart, or place a doe rabbit with a castrated buck rabbit. The latter is incidentally the most designated combination. Two bucks or two does fight very quickly.
Rabbits reproduce mainly in the spring, from February to the end of July. The gestation period of a rabbit is 28 to 32 days, depending on the rabbit’s size. They have three to eight kits per litter. At birth, the baby rabbits (kits or bunnies) are still blind, deaf and hairless, but, after two weeks, they can leave the nest and they are independent within a month. However, only a limited number of these young wild baby rabbits survive the first few months. To ensure the survival of the species, it is therefore important to quickly ensure replacements. Some doe rabbits have up to six litters per annum!
Rabbit feed
Wild rabbits betray their presence with rabbit burrows and droppings. Did you know that wild and tame rabbits can consume their own droppings? However, in doing so, this does not pertain to the normal excrement, but to droppings from the cecum that are discharged during the first phase of the digestive process. These droppings are eaten directly from the anus. One therefore does not normally get to see these droppings. The cecum droppings have a soft texture and are small and dark-coloured. Bacteria in the cecum let the food particles ferment and convert them into essential nutrients such as proteins and vitamins.
These droppings are consumed when it is dark. That means that your tame rabbit will mostly do this at night or in the mornings. Wild rabbits prefer doing this during the day while they are hiding in their burrows, where it is also dark. The final excrements, which consist of indigestible fibres, are only excreted in the second phase. These droppings are larger than the cecum droppings and are also firmer and lighter in colour.
Rabbits are herbivores. That means that they have a plant-based diet and do not consume any meat. Their diets consist of grasses, clover and some cruciferous plants, but sometimes also fruit, seeds and roots... A suitable rabbit diet consists of hay, fresh greens and fresh water. You can find all the necessary ingredients from the natural habitat of a rabbit for your pet rabbit in the Nature range.
Share this article
Tags
Living environmentRelated articles
{{TagLabels}}
{{Title}}
{{Description}}
{{card-0}}
{{card-1}}
{{card-2}}
{{card-3}}
{{card-4}}
{{TagLabels}}
{{Title}}
{{Description}}
community
Become a member of our community!
- Great prizes
- Unique ideas, tips and tricks
- Free samples & discount coupons
- Test new products